Duplicating machines



May 8, 1962 s; MATTHEWS 3,033,108

DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 fry/WY Mme 5 May 8, 1962 s. MATTHEWS 3,033,108

DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 8, 1962 s. MATTHEWS 3,033,108

DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 SIM/90V WWW/W5 May 8, 1962 s. MATTHEWS 3,

DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 8, 1962 s. MATTHEWS 3,033,108

DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 8, 1962 s. MATTHEWS DUPLICATING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 21. 1960 BYW/M 3,033,108 DUPLICATING MAQHINES Stephen Matthews, Hadiey Wood, Barnet, England, assignor to Block & Anderson Limited, London, England, a British company Filed July 21, 1960, Ser. No. 44,400 Ciaims priority, application Great Britain July 22, 1959 13 Claims. (Cl. 101-4325) This invention relates to duplicating and like machines and is more particularly concerned with rotary hectographic and similar duplicating machines arranged for selective line printing by which any one or more of a plurality of text line items of a master image may be reproduced on a copy sheet. When two or more of such text line items are reproduced they are arranged to be in normal line-spaced relationship to one another on the copy sheet even if the corresponding master image line items are widely separated from one another.

A number of different arrangements have already been proposed for such purpose including certain examples in which the various text line items of the master image are disposed parallel with the axis of the printing drum which supports such master image, e.g. a hectographic master sheet. In one particular arrangement of the latter type a plurality of radially movable printing segments are provided on the printing drum with each segment arranged to lie beneath a diiferent text line item of the master sheet so that, by arranging to move those segments which are beneath the required text line items to an outward printing position while retaining the remaining printing segments in an inward inoperative positon, then as each segment passes through the printing zone between the printing drum and a co-operating counterpressure roller, impression of the copy sheet upon the master image and accompanying forward feeding movement of such copy sheet is limited to the areas of the raised segments. As a result, only the selected text line items are printed and these appear on the copy sheet adjacent one another. Examples of this type of machine have already been described in the two applications of Francois R. Bonsch Ser. No. 703,973 filed December 19, 1957 and No. 755,763 filed August 18, 1958.

Such known forms of selective line duplicating are relatively complex and hence expensive to produce and one object of the present invention is the provision of a much simplified form of selective line duplicating machine having useful, even if more limited, line selection facilities and which is capable of manufacture at a relatively low cost.

According to one aspect of the present invention use is made of a conventional printing drum having an undivided peripheral surface and a co-operating counterpressure member having a part or wholly cylindrical peripheral surface which carries at least one and preferably two or even more raised peripheral regions which extend axially of said member. When two or more of such regions are provided, they are separated from one another circumferentially. Such counterpressure member is then arranged to be rotated intermittently in unison with the rotatable printing drum at one or more predetermined and adjustable instants during each operative rotation of the latter whereby the raised peripheral region of the counterpressure member, or the first of such regions if more than one is provided, is moved through the printing zone in synchronism with the passage therethrough of a required text line item of the master image carried by the drum. The counterpressure member comes to rest after the first printing step with the gap between the two separate raised peripheral regions thereof lying in the printing Zone. If a second raised peripheral region is provided, such counterpressure member is again rotated Patented May 8, 1962 in unison with the printing drum at a later time instant during the continued rotation of the latter which coincides with the passage through the printing zone of a required further text line item of the master image carried on the printing drum.

The counterpressure member preferably does not make a complete revolution but is returned to its initial position by movement in the opposite direction of rotation, for instance, by a spring means, at or near the end of the operative revolution cycle of the printing drum and when a fiat or other relieved zone of the latter lies opposite the counterpressure member.

In a preferred form of the invention, the above described selective line printing arrangements are augmented by means for taking a full copy of the master image. These means conveniently comprise the formation of the counterpressure member as a part-cylindrical arcuate shell and the provision of a normal-form constant diameter roller mounted within such shell for free rotation about an axis which is conveniently eccentric to that of the rotation of the counterpressure member. Such constant diameter roller is supported in a manner whereby, when the arcuate shell counterpressure member is in its initial position where it is out of operative relationship to the printing zone such roller can be moved through a gap in the arcuate shell towards the printing drum to a position where it operates in the normal manner in continuous printing relationship with the constant radius surface of the printing drum.

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more readily understood, one particular constructional embodiment will now be described by way of illustrative example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a hectographie I:

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIGURE 2, but showing certain parts in that operative position which corresponds to the taking of an impression from a first part of the master image. I

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIGURE 5 and showing a portion only of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 1, in a further operative position corresponding to taking an impression from a second part of the master image.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, similar to FIGURE 3, showing the disposition of various machine parts when the alternative constant diameter counterpressure roller is being employed for full copy operation.

FIGURES 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating the manner of operation of the illustrated embodiment.

The embodiment illustrated is a hand operated hectographic duplicating machine and, referring first to FIG- URES 1 to 7, comprises left and right-hand side frame plates 29, 21 of inwardly flanged form and disposed in spaced relationship to one another as by transverse tie members 22. Between these frame plates is rotatably mounted a substantially conventional printing drum 10 having a constant radius cylindrical surface over the majority of its peripheral area, including the whole of its master supporting area, such constant radius surface being come apparent later.

The drum is provided with master securing clip 23 and is secured to an axle 24 carried in suitable bearing means secured to the opposing side plates 20, 21. The drum 10 has a spur gearwheel 25 secured thereto, which gearwheel is in meshing engagement with a drive pinion 26 mounted upon a shaft 27 journalled in and extending through the right-hand frame plate 21 for the reception of its outermost end of an operating crank handle 28. The drive ratio between the pinion 26 and the gearwheel 25 is 2:1 whereby two revolutions of the crank handle 28 are required to produce one complete operative rotation of the drum 10.

On the outside of the frame plate 21 a pinion 29 of extended width is secured to the shaft 27, said pinion being in meshing engagement with two spur gearwheels 30 and 31 each freely rotatable upon a stub axle 32 fixed to the frame plate 21. The outer gearwheel 31 has a slightly greater number of teeth, say 82, than the inner gearwheel 30 which has, say, 80 teeth. The drive ratio between the pinion 29 and the inner gearwheel 30 is precisely 2:1 and, accordingly, the drive ratio between the same pinion and the outer gearwheel 31 is slightly greater than 2:1. The difference of drive ratio is such that, for each revolution of the gearwheel 30 (and the drum 10), the gearwheel 31 lags behind the gearwheel 30 by an angle which is equal to the angle subtended at the periphery of the printing drum 10 by one text line item of the master image sheet M thereon.

To the inner face of the gearwheel 30 is rigidly secured a cam disc 33 having, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2, a major part 34 of its periphery of constant and greatest radius followed by a progressively reducing radius region 35 to a point 36 of minimum radius which is followed in turn by a rise portion 37 to the start of the constant radius part 34. This cam disc 33 carries an inwardly directed and eccentrically disposed trip pin 38. The contoured periphery of the cam disc 33 is engaged by a follower roller 39 carried by the upper end of a Z-armed lever 40 pivotally mounted upon a fixed pivot spindle 41 projecting outwardly from the frame plate 21. Spring means 42 operate to maintain the follower roller 39 in contact with the cam disc 33. At its lower end, the lever 40 carries a post 43 in which is mounted an adjustable abutment screw 44 (see FIG. 2) whose forwardly directed end can engage the end surface of a block 45 which is secured upon a shift lever arm 46 also pivotally mounted upon the spindle 41.

Upon the outside of the gearwheel 31 and also freely rotatable upon the stub axle 32 is a ratchet wheel 47 having a series of teeth the angle between adjacent pairs of which is again equal to the angle subtended on the printing drum by one text line item of the master image sheet M. A pawl 48 carried on the outer surface of the gearwheel 31 is urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 47 by a control spring 49 whereby such ratchet may be freely rotated relatively to the gearwheel 31 in an anticlockwise direction, FIGURE 1, but isprevented from rotation in the opposite direction. Rigidly secured to the ratchet wheel 47 is a radially directed abutment plate 50 whose outer end co-operates with a follower roller 51 carried by the upper end of a further two-armed lever 52 also freely mounted on the pivot spindle 41. This lever 52 is, like the lever 40, provided with a post 53 rigidly secured thereto and carrying an abutment screw 54 whose forward end can also engage the end surface of the block 45 carried by the shift lever arm 46. Spring means 90 operate to bias the lever arm 52 in clockwise direction, FIG. 1, whereby the abutment screw 54 is in contact with the block 45. The latter is movable from the position shown to one where the end surface is clear of either abutment screw 44 or 54, by removal of a securing screw 91 from the position shown and its reinsertion through the block into an alternative tapped hole 92 in the shift lever arm 46.

The lower end of the upper edge surface of the shift lever arm 46 is arranged to engage and move an eccentric pin 55 projecting outwardly from the face of a gearwheel 56 freely rotatable'upon a stub axle 57 secured to the frame plate 21. This gearwheel 56 has rigidly secured thereto a radially directed latch arm 58 to which is also anchored one end of a tension spring 59 whose opposite end is secured to a fixed point on the frame plate 21. This gearwheel 56 is in meshing engagement with a smaller diameter pinion 60 which will be referred to later.

Mounted below the two-armed levers 4t), 52 and the aforesaid gearwheel 56 is a latching lever 61 pivoted on a fixed post 62 carried by the frame plate 21 and having a latching notch 63 in its upper edge surfaces for co-operation with the free end of the latch arm 58 as will be described later. The latching lever 61 is biased upwardly by spring means 66 and at its free end is pro vided with an inwardly directed pin 64 lying in the path of movement of a bell crank lever 65 also freely rotatable on the pivot spindle 41 and normally biased in a clockwise direction by the action of the spring means 66. The upper limb of this lever 65 lies in the path of movemerit of the trip, pin 38 on the cam disc 33.

Between the frame plates 20, 21 is disposed the usual copy sheet feed tray 67, sheet delivery tray 68 and initial sheet feed rollers 69, 70 as well as the associated pad damping means 71. Such elements are of conventional form and form no part of the present invention.

The counterpressure member, indicated generally at 11, is in the form of a part cylinder or arcuate shell 72 which extends over practically the full axial length of the drum 10 and is rigidly mounted at each end upon circular discs 12 each provided with an outwardly directed stub shaft 13 fixed thereto, (see FIG. 4). At each side of the machine these stub shafts are journalled in bearing blocks 73 vertically slidable in stationary guides carried by the side plates 20, 21 and constituted by parallel ribs 74. These blocks are engaged by pressure applying members 75 shown symbolically only in FIGS. 3 and 7 and constituted generally by members whose position in a vertical sense can be adjusted under the control of the machine operator for altering the applied printing pressure between the drum 10 and the counterpressure member 11. The stub shaft 13 on the right-hand side is extended and passes through a slot in the side plate 21 and has the aforesaid pinion 60 secured thereto at its outer end.

The outer peripheral surface of the shell 72 carries two raised parts 14 and 15 which extend parallel to the shell axis along the whole length thereof. These parts 14, 15 have an outer surface of greater radius than the rest of the shell and struck from the same centre, i.e. that of the axis of the stub shafts 13 whereby they each provide a part-cylindrical counterpressure surface for impressing the copy sheet upon the master image carried by the drum 10 when passing through the printing zone. The first part 14 has a circumferential dimension equal to the chosen text width dimension of a first selected part of the master image, namely the usual common heading portion H, while the second part 15 has a circumferential dimension equal to the text width dimension of a chosen selectable item of such master image, for example, one text line item L1, L2 of the master image. The parts 14, 15 are separated circumferentially by a gap 87.

Mounted between the aforesaid spaced end discs 12 of the counterpressure member and nested within the interior of the arcuate shell 72 is a further constant diarneter pressure roller 16 of conventional form and extending over the full operative width of the printing drum 10. This roller 16 is provided with a central spindle 17 which projects at each end into slots 18 formed in the end discs 12. On each projecting end of such spindle 17 between the end discs 12 and the adjacent ends of the roller 16 is disposed a circular collar 76 which is embraced and supported by the forked end 77 of an arm 78 which projects upwardly from and is integral with an associated rocker arm 79. The two rocker arms 79, one at each side of the machine, are rigidly secured to a transverse rock shaft 80 journalled between the two frame plates 20, 21 to form a lifting system for the roller 15. At the opposite free end, these rocker arms are interconnected by a transverse junction rod 81 at the centre of which is provided a short roller 82 lying opposite an eccentric disc 83 rigidly connected to a transverse operating spindle 84 which is journalled in the frame plates 2%, 21 and projects at its right-hand end through the plate 21. A control lever 85 is secured to this projecting end.

In the operation of the described embodiment, rotation of the crank handle 23 in a clockwise direction, FIG. 1, causes rotation of the printing drum in counterclockwise direction at half the angular speed of the handle away from the initial printing position as shown in FIG. 3 and also schematically in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the master sheet M carried 'by the drum 10 has an initial heading text portion H extending over the angular distance shown followed, after an intervening blank space, by a plurality of equi-width text line items L1, L2 The same movement of the crank handle 28 also rotates the gear-wheels 3t) and 31, the gearwheel 30 rotating at the same angular speed as the printing drum 1th and the gearwheel 31 at a very slightly slower speed. At a position determined by the contour of the cam disc 33, the cam follower roller 39 commences to ride up the region 37, see FIG. 2, and in consequence the two-armed lever 40 is rocked about the pivot spindle 41 and, through its abutment screw 44 operating upon the block 45, causes clockwise rocking motion to be imparted to the shift lever arm 46 which, in turn, presses the eccentric pin 55 upwardly to rotate the gear-wheel 56 in an anticlockwise direction against the bias of the spring 59 which is accordingly stressed as the latch arm 58 moves downwardly towards the position shown in FIG. 5. This movement of the gearwheel 56 is transmitted through the pinion 60 to rotate the arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11 whereby the peripheral surface of the first raised part 14 moves into the printing zone between itself and the printing drum 10. The outer surface of this part 14 moves at the same peripheral speed as the surface of the drum 10 whereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the copy sheet C is impressed against the master sheet M carried by the drum to print on such copy sheet the text matter of the master which occupies the heading region H.

When the following roller 39 reaches the start of the constant and greatest radius part 34 of the cam 33, movement of the two-armed lever 40 ceases and the parts are now in the position shown in FIG. 5 with the follower roller riding on the constant radius part 34 of the cam 33 and accordingly maintaining pressure by the abutment screw 4-4 upon the block 45 to hold the gearwheel 56 and, through the pinion 60, the arcuate counterpressure member 11, in the position shown in FIG. 10 with the gap between the raised part 14 and the further raised part of the arcuate shell 72 in the printing zone whereby the copy sheet C is no longer pressed against the master sheet M carried by the printing drum. The latter, of course, continues to rotate steadily due to continued movement of the crank handle 28.

At a later instant determined by the angular position of the abutment plate 50 and which is set by initial manual adjustment of the ratchet wheel 47 relative to the gearwheel 31, such abutment plate 50 comes into engagement with the follower roller 51 on the second two-armed lever 52 which is accordingly now moved in a clockwise direction to cause its abutment screw 54 to engage the block 45. As shown in FIG. 6, this causes further angular movement of the shift lever arm 46 in a clockwise direction to impart further movement to the eccentric pin 55 and the associated gearwheel 56 in the same anticlockwise direction thereby causing further rotation of the pinion 60 and the associated arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11. By appropriate initial setting of the abutment plate 50, this is adjusted to coincide with the passage of the required one of the text line regions L1, L2, L3 of the master M through the printing zone whereby the second raised part 15 of the arcuate shell 72 passes through the zone in synchronism with the required text line item of the master M to impress the text thereof upon the copy sheet C as shown in FIG. 11. Since the copy sheet C has not moved since it was previously released from contact between the part 14 of the counterpressure member 11 and the printing drum 10, such selected text line item is printed on the copy sheet immediately below the heading H.

At the end of this second forward movement of the gearwheel S6 and the accompanying arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11, the latch arm 58 is brought to the position shown in FIG. 6 where it becomes latched in the notch 63 of the latching lever61. The arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11 is thus now held in the position where the second raised part 15 thereof has passed completely through the printing zone even when the relatively short abutment plate 59, which operates the second two-armed lever 52, is moved away from the cam follower roller 51.

This position is maintained until a point near the end of the completion of one operative revolution of the printing drum 10 when the fiat region 19 thereon lies in the printing zone. At this instant, the trip pin 38 carried by the cam disc 33 depresses the upper arm of the bell crank lever 65 whereby the lower arm of such lever bears upon the pin 64 of the latching lever 61 to move the latter downwardly thereby releasing the previously latched arm 58. The latter is now moved under the infiuence of the tension spring 59 back to its initial position as shown in FIG. 1, thereby rotating the gearwheel 56 in clockwise direction and, through pinion 60, the arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11 back to the initial position as shown in FIG. 8.

The arrangement so far described can be set to print any desired text line item L1, L2 L3 of the master sheet in addition to the heading H by appropriate angular adjustment of the ratchet wheel 47 and its associated abutment plate 50 relative to the second gearwheel 31 to which it is coupled through the associated pawl 48. Thereafter the difference of angular rotational speeds of such second gearwheel 31 and the first gearwheel 30 causes the ratchet wheel 47 and its associated abutment plate 50 to retreat relatively to its initial setting position by the amount of one text line item of the master M for each revolution of the printing drum 10. Thus, having set the abutment plate 50 to an initial position correct for producing an impression of, say, line L1 of the master M, the first printing operation will produce on the copy sheet C the heading H followed by this selected line L1, the second operation will produce on the next copy sheet the heading H with line L2, the third operation on the next further copy sheet the heading H with line L3 and so on.

To effect full copy printing of the whole of the master M, the control lever $5 is moved through from the position shown in full lines to that shown in chain-dotted linesin FIG. 1, thereby rotating the operating spindle 84 and the eccentric disc 83 to the position shown in FIG. 7 where such eccentric disc has lifted the roller 82 on the junction rod 81 thereby rotating each of the rocker arms 79. The constant diameter pressure roller 16 carried by the forked ends 77 of the arms 78 is accordingly lifted relatively to the remainder of the counterpressure member 11 to the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 12. In this position, the roller 16 is urged into printing contact with the surface of the printing drum 10. At the same time, the intermittent drive to the arcuate shell 72 of the member 11 is disconnected by swinging the block 45 out of alignment with the abutment screws 44 and 54. This is conveniently achieved by removing the securing screw 91 passing through such block and, after movement of the block, replacing such screw in the alternative screw hole 92 in the shift lever arm 46. Rotation of the printing drum by operation of the cnank handle 28 is now accompanied by continuous application of printing pressure by the roller 16 so that the whole of the master image will be impressed upon an applied copy sheet C.

It Will be clear that the arrangement described is capable of wide modification. For example, the actual mechanical arrangement for moving the full diameter roller 16 into and out of operative position may be varied in many ways. Similarly the number of separate raised parts such as 14 and 15 on the arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member 11 may be altered. For instance, only one raised portion may be employed and the rotation of such member effected only by an adjustable abutment such as that shown at 50 whereby any selected line or, if desired, any continuous series of selected lines of a master sheet may be printed. Alternatively, such counterpressure member may be provided with more than two separate raised portions and further cam means provided, similar to the gearwheel 31 and associated ratchet Wheel and abutment 50, to give further intermittent advance movement to the shell subsequent to the second step described above, appropriate latching being provided at each movement step. The arcuate shell 72 of the counterpressure member may be made readily detachable and interchangeable with other shells of different formation.

I claim:

1. A rotary duplicating or like printing machine comprising a rotatable printing drum for supporting upon its outer surface an image-bearing master having the respective text line items thereof disposed parallel to the drum axis, said drum being formed with an undivided and constant radius outer surface at least over the image-supporting area thereof, a counterpressure member for cooperation with said drum, said counterpressure member being arranged for rotation about an axis parallel to that of said drum and including at least one raised part-cylindrical surface region extending over the axial length thereof to provide a printing and sheet feeding couple in conjunction with said drum only when said raised region is in the printing Zone opposite said drum, driving means for rotating said drum through one revolution to perform each printing operation, and intermittent coupling means for intermittently coupling said counterpressure member to said driving means at least once during a part only of each revolution of said drum to rotate said counterpressure member as the same peripheral speed as said drum thereby to pass said raised region through said printing zone, said coupling means including adjustable timing mechanism for altering the instant during each revolution of said drum when said counterpressure member is coupled to said driving means to pass said raised region through said printing zone, whereby any required text-line of said image may be selectively printed upon a copy sheet fed into said printing zone.

2. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim I in which said rotatable counterpressure element is provided with two separate circumferentially spaced raised surface regions of common radius.

3. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 2, in which said intermittent coupling means is arranged to couple said counterpressure member to said driving means to rotate said member by a first step in a predetermined fixed timed relationship to each rotation of said drum so as to pass the first of said raised surface regions through the printing zone and then to couple said member to said driving means a second time under the control of said timing mechanism to rotate said member by a second step in said adjustable timed relationship to each rotation of said drum so as to pass the second of said raised surface regions through said printing zone.

4. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 3, in which said adjustable timing mechanism includes timing control means operated at each revolution of said drum for automatically changing the timing relationship between the rotation of said drum and the movement of said counterpressure member between each successive printing operation of the machine to produce successive copies with different text-line items of said master image.

5. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 3, in which said counterpressure member is rotatable through less than one complete revolution at each rotation of said drum and which includes return means for returning said member to an initial position by rotary movement in the reverse direction at the end of each revolution of said drum.

6. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 5, in which said return means comprises a spring which is stressed during operative forward movement of said counterpressure member and which when released effects said return movement of said member.

7. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 6, in which said printing drum includes a fiat or other relieved surface region thereon and in which said return movement of said counterpressure member takes place at an instant during each revolution of said printing drum when said flat or other relieved surface region is in the printing Zone.

8. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 3, in which said intermittent coupling means includes cam mechanism in geared connection with said printing drum.

9. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 3, which includes a constant diameter counterpressure roller and shift means for placing said roller in operative position adjacent said drum in the printing zone for alternative use as a counterpressure member instead of said intermittently rotatable member.

10. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 3, in which said counterpressure member comprises a part-cylindrical shell mounted upon disc members at each end, each of said disc members having an outwardly directed pivot shaft, bearing blocks supporting said pivot shafts, and adjustable support means for said bearing blocks to permit adjustment of their position towards and away from the axis of rotation of said printing drum.

11. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 10, in which said arcuate shell is readily detachable from and replaceable upon said disc members to facilitate change of said shell for one having a different configuration of raised surface regions.

12. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 11, which includes a constant diameter counterpressure roller having outwardly directed spindle ends each rotatably mounted within said disc members to locate said roller within said arcuate shell at a position Where the outer peripheral surface of said roller is at the same radius from the axis of rotation of said shell as said raised surface regions of the latter.

13. A rotary duplicating or like machine according to claim 12 in which said constant diameter roller is supported in movable bearing means arranged to allow movement of said roller through a gap in said arcuate shell into contact with said printing drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,935,799 Jamison Nov. 21, 1933 2,220,903 Higgins et al Nov. 12, 1940 2,753,791 Thurmann July 10, 1956 

